4 police officers detained for extorting N53,000 from ICPC chairman

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has detained four police officers for allegedly extorting N53,000 from the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), during an illegal stop-and-search operation in Abuja.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja. He said the officers mounted an unauthorised checkpoint around the Banex area of Wuse after abandoning their official duty posts and extorted the ICPC chairman without knowing his identity.

Describing the officers as criminals who had no business wearing the police uniform, Sanusi said the command had already taken them into custody and vowed they would face severe disciplinary measures.

According to the commissioner, the ICPC chairman was forced to withdraw N53,000 through a Point of Sale (POS) operator, paid the transaction charges, and the officers allegedly shared the money among themselves.

“I must say here that we have about four policemen in custody who successfully extorted somebody of high importance, unknown to them that this person is highly placed in society. In clear terms, they extorted the Chairman of the ICPC,” Sanusi said.

“They extorted him of N53,000. They took him to a POS operator, where he withdrew the money, paid the charges, and they shared the money among themselves.”

Sanusi said investigations revealed that the officers had abandoned their designated duty posts, formed a gang and established an illegal checkpoint at Banex, Wuse, where they allegedly preyed on unsuspecting motorists before fleeing the scene.

“They are a gang of criminals who left various divisions, clustered together, moved to Wuse Banex and created a checkpoint where they perpetrated this act before fleeing,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the command declared the officers wanted before arresting their gang leader, whose confession led investigators to the other members of the syndicate.

“We got all of them. We are going to ensure they are severely punished. Those who deserve dismissal will definitely be dismissed,” he stated.

Sanusi also reiterated the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, prohibiting the indiscriminate search of citizens’ mobile phones by police personnel during patrols or stop-and-search operations.

He advised residents not to submit their phones for unlawful searches and urged them to immediately report any officer who demands access to their devices through the police emergency lines.

“You cannot stop anybody on the road and ask the person to bring out his phone for search. If any policeman stops you and asks to search your phone, don’t agree. Call the police emergency lines and we will ask them why,” the commissioner said.

He urged members of the public to promptly report cases of extortion, harassment and other forms of misconduct involving police personnel, assuring that the command would investigate every complaint and sanction erring officers.

“We will continue to enforce the Inspector-General’s directive. Some officers engage in these acts because they are criminally minded and want to perpetrate such crimes. If we get them, they will face disciplinary action and the full consequences of their misconduct,” Sanusi added.